


Had A Bad Day

by beautifulmidnight



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Action, Drunkenness, F/M, Horror, Party, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-01
Updated: 2012-04-01
Packaged: 2017-11-02 20:47:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/373170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautifulmidnight/pseuds/beautifulmidnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leon Kennedy has a party before his first day at Raccoon City Police Department.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Had A Bad Day

**Author's Note:**

> Stella Porter, Jack, and Daniel are my friend Alex's creations; I liked the characters and the role they play in Leon's past in his fan fictions. I just kind of elaborated on his characters a bit.
> 
> And of course, the dialogue between Leon and Claire is not what I came up with. I just wanted to finish the story with him meeting Claire so I used the RE2 opening dialogue. Plus I already have it memorized, so, yeah. I'm epically lazy.

Leon tapped the steering wheel idly while he waited for the light to change. It was ten minutes 'til five, and he was glad he was going to make it in time to pick his girlfriend up from work. He had a surprise for her: a big bouquet of red roses wrapped up in a huge box and a glittering platinum heart necklace he had bought just a few hours ago at the local jewelry shop. The gifts had totally drained what little money he had, but Stella was worth it. She was worth it all and so much more.

The plan was to pick her up from work, give her the flowers, then whisk her away to a swanky restaurant where he'd ask her if she wanted to move in with him once he got settled in Raccoon City. She'd say yes, he'd give her the necklace, they'd discuss their plans over dessert, then life would be absolutely perfect.

New job, new apartment, new city (well, sort of…he had visited Raccoon City numerous times as a child to visit his grandparents, before they passed away) and a pretty girlfriend to share it with…Things couldn't be any better if he tried.

The car behind honked and he snapped out of his reverie. The light had turned green so he quickly stepped on the gas and waved in his rearview mirror to the driver behind him, half-heartedly thanking him and apologizing for not paying attention at the same time.

He drove a couple more blocks and pulled into the parking lot of Stella's office building, nabbing the first parking space he saw instead of searching for a closer spot. He could walk faster in the amount of time it'd take to find a closer space. He grabbed the flowers and proceeded to go to see his girlfriend.  
Leon went through the revolving glass door, the box of roses getting crushed in the process.

"Shit!" he exclaimed in horror, wrestling the delicate box of buds from the doorway. "Shit! I hate automatic doors!"

He finally pulled the box free but it was mangled slightly, and the bright red velvet bow that had rested so beautifully across the package was now wrinkled and torn. He sighed.

"Good going Kennedy," he said to himself. "Way to screw things up."

"Scotty?"

He looked up immediately and saw Stella standing in front of the elevator. She had just stepped off, her wedge heels clack-clack-clacking against the marble tiled floor. Leon caught his breath. Stella Porter was gorgeous, and she never ceased to be nothing short of dazzling in his eyes.

She wore a simple white maxi dress that tied around her neck, and her usually straight blond hair was curled and pulled back into a messy, romantic looking bun with a sunflower clipped in for decoration. Her make-up was natural and minimal, and her smile could outshine the sun.

"Stella," Leon's face broke into a goofy grin. He then held up the box of roses and frowned at it. "Uh, these are for you."

"For me?"

Leon could swear her face fell for half a second, but she recovered it quickly so he wasn't sure she had done it at all. With French-manicured fingertips she pulled the bow apart, letting it unknot itself and fall gracefully to the floor. The box opened and her hazel eyes grew wide.

"Scotty!" Stella shook her head and covered her mouth with her hand, clearly shocked. "These are amazing! This must have cost you a fortune!"

"You're worth every penny," he shrugged, scratching the back of his neck.

"Aw," her hand went from her mouth and she clutched her chest before crushing him in a hug. "Thank-you Scotty. You're so good to me."

He returned her hug with the same ferocity and kissed her suntanned cheek. "I'm taking us out to dinner too. To La Petit."

She stepped back to examine his head, like he had gone mad. "No! That place is too expensive Scotty! And I'm not dressed for it…"

"You're beautiful, don't worry. Now come on, let's go," he steered her to the exit. "Uh, be careful though. The door tried to eat the roses."

She giggled and took his hand, swinging it childishly back and forth before placing a kiss on the back of his hand. Leon laughed and when they finally got to his Jeep, he let go of her hand to open the door for her. As he helped her inside, giving her the roses to hold, he said,  
"I love you."

There was the face change again. Stella recovered and smiled, nodding. He felt taken aback, but shrugged it off, thinking she was tired from her long day at work.  
"I'm kind of glad we're going to dinner," Stella began after he got in the driver's seat. "We have lots to talk about."

"Yes. We do," he agreed.

The next few moments were spent in comfortable silence, with Stella occasionally remarking on some part of the scenery they passed by. Twenty minutes passed and La Petit came into view.

La Petit was a French restaurant housed in an old stone mill that had been around for nearly a century. Well-sculpted topiaries, cozy fireplaces, and a lush, fragrant garden gave the restaurant an expensive, but very romantic appeal to lovers, and it was very hard to get a table there. Leon made sure they would be dining outside in the garden, knowing that Stella adored fountains. La Petit had a beautiful fountain filled with koi.

Leon shifted into park in front of the valet service and then handed the keys over. Stella had already exited the vehicle and Leon was secretly grateful so he could pop open the glove box and retrieve the necklace he wanted to give her. Quickly jogging to catch up with her, he gave her his am and she laughed, looping her arm within his.

The hostess station wasn't busy, and they were greeted warmly.

"Kennedy, party of two. I have reservations for 5:30," he said nervously.

The maitre d' flipped a couple pages in the reservation book, scanning the names with his index finger. "Ah! Kennedy. Yes. Follow me, if you please."

They entered the garden and Stella squealed in delight. "Scotty, this is beautiful! Look at the fountain!"

The evening was starting out well, and Leon couldn't have been more pleased. The waiter came by and introduced himself, and Leon ordered wine and an appetizer to share. When the appetizer was dropped off, they gave their order and Leon sat back in his chair, clutching the box that held the necklace he had bought.

"Aren't you going to eat Scotty? The food is getting cold," Stella frowned.

"Yes. There's just something I want to do first, though," he cleared his throat.

He took out the box and placed it on he table, sliding it towards her.  
"Open it."

Stella's chewing slowed, and she put her fork down and dabbed her lips with her napkin before speaking.

"Scott, we need to talk," she slid the box back to him.

"What are you talking about?" he slid the box back over.

"I said, we need to talk," she slid it back.

"And I said, what are you talking about?" he was getting frustrated to the point where he shoved the box over to her side of the table.

"About us."

Leon felt his stomach churn and his vision blur. "What about us?"

Stella pushed the box until it rested in the middle of the table. "You're leaving Scott. Starting a whole new life. You're twenty-one, going off to Raccoon City and going to be this hot-shot rookie cop who's going to solve those cannibal murders and become famous and where will I be?"

Leon shook his head. She was being ludicrous! How could he ever live his life without her? Did she have any clue that he was going to ask her to move in with him? That he wanted to marry her?

"Stella…I want you to come with me!" he exclaimed.

She sighed, almost like she was speaking to a child that didn't comprehend the simple concepts of life. "I can't do that, Scott. I'm not—I'm just not ready for this level of commitment. I can't do this. I won't."

His eyes burned with the tears he refused to cry. His hands were trembling and his mouth had gone dry. "St—Stella, please, don't do this! Not today…I leave for Raccoon tomorrow morning…Stella, please…"

"We both know this isn't going to work. I'm still in school. My family's here. I can't leave them."

"But Stella…" Leon was really trying not to whine at this point, "we belong together."

"No, Scott," she said firmly.

"Stella, please. I'll do anything. I'll stay here. I'll give up my job. Anything you want, just tell me and I'll do it."

"Nuh uh Mister," she shook her head again, pursing her lips. "I think I should go. I'm going to call a cab."

"At least…at least take the box," he muttered, completely miserable.

"No, Scott," she got up and tossed her napkin on the table. She went over to him and kissed his forehead before exiting the restaurant. "Take care of yourself."

"Shit," he uttered, wishing he could crawl into a hole and disappear.

~  
Leon's Jeep devoured the pavement. A twenty-four pack of beer, a six-pack of Jack and Coke, and a 32-ounce bottle of whisky sat in the passenger side seat.

He left the restaurant maybe twenty minutes after Stella. The longer he stayed, the better that bottle of wine looked. He went to the liquor store and bought all the booze he could afford and took off.

There was a party he was going to tonight, in his honor. It was a good-bye party that his friends had organized. They even rented a hotel room out for it. Part of him hoped he'd see Stella there, but he knew deep down she wouldn't be.

He slammed on his brakes when he saw sparklers glowing in the hotel parking lot. They brought fireworks? Were they that happy to see him go?

"Heeeeeey Scott-y!" Daniel waved. "Bout fuckin' time you showed up! Where you been?"

"Nowhere important," he replied.

"Where's Stella?" Jack asked.

"She…can't make it," he said lamely.

Jack and Daniel exchanged sobering looks and each put an arm around their friend. "Well, buddy, forget about her for awhile. Have a beer. Or two. Or three."

"Or five," Leon finished. "I seriously want to die right now."

He followed his friends into the hotel room, not as happy as one should be at a party.

"I'm sorry Scotty. I really liked Stella. She was a stand-up babe," Daniel said, putting a beer in Leon's hands.

"The absolute best," Leon nodded. "The absolute best."

~

Leon stood on the balcony of the hotel room, drunkenly gazing up at the night sky. The stars were almost visible, and they winked at him playfully, like they were trying to cheer him up. He sniffed, wondering how the moon could look so pretty and the night so still and perfect when everything in his life wasn't.

He sighed. In one hand he held Stella's necklace, the other held a bottle of beer.  
The platinum necklace dangled from his grasp, the heart charm on it twisting and twirling in circles in the wind. "Scott and Stella" were engraved in fancy script on the heart. He shook his head, and without a second thought, dropped it and headed back into the hotel room to sleep off his hangover.

He had an early morning and a depressing future to look forward to.

~  
"Scotty. Scotty. Scotty! Wake the fuck up, man!"

Leon groaned. Sunshine hit his eyeballs and he closed them instantly. He felt sick to his stomach and his head was pounding. Outside he heard a jackhammer and the noise thundered in his ears. Where was he? What had happened?

Oh.

Stella broke up with him, he went to his good-bye party, drank until his head nearly exploded, and passed out.

"What time is it?" he moaned, covering his eyes with his arm.

"3:30," Jack answered.

"3:30? Oh."

Like he got an injection of adrenaline, Leon got to his feet. "3:30? In the afternoon?"

"Naw, dude," Jack laughed. "3:30 in the morning. The sun comes out at night now."

"Shit, shit, shit, shit. Shiiiiit," Leon cursed. "I've got to go! Now! Bye!"

"But—" Daniel started.

"I'll call you guys when I get there!" Leon patted his jeans pocket for his keys and was relieved to find them.

He had no time to change. Maybe he could find a rest stop somewhere and put his uniform on. Lucky for him his bags were packed and already in the Jeep.

Daniel followed his friend out to the parking lot. "Hey, wait! You can't leave yet! Traffic!"

"You can't leave now man! Traffic!" Jack echoed, yelling loud enough to disturb the other guests as Leon peeled out of the parking lot.

Something crunched beneath his tires, but he had no time to worry about it now. He had to leave.

"Hey, Scotty! You just ran over this…necklace?" Daniel asked quizzically, picking up the damaged chain from the ground. "Scott and Stella. Huh…"

~  
He had changed into his uniform at a rest stop and damn it all he was starving. He looked at his clock on the dashboard. Maybe he'd have time to hit up the vending machines at the precinct…He'd just barely make it in time as it was…maybe no one would notice?

Of course people would notice. He was the new guy. Everyone notices the new guy. He hoped Branaugh would be cool…He really wished he hadn't left so late. How would anyone take him seriously if he was late on his first day? They'd never give him a case like the cannibal murders if he couldn't even show up on time. His whole career was being flushed down the toilet because he couldn't get to work on time.

What was he thinking, drinking and oversleeping? He was so fucked.

"Oh thank goodness. Raccoon City," he read the sign aloud, driving into the city limits. "Took forever. Shitty traffic."

He should've felt relieved, but instead of letting himself relax, he felt his senses heighten. Something was strange, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was a Friday night, where the hell was everybody? Why was it so dark? Normally a city would be crawling with people at this hour. Restaurants would be packed. What the hell was going on?

"Holy shit!"

He was too busy looking at the streets to notice something in the road. He couldn't tell what the hell it was, so he braked like a madman. He left his headlights on so he could see, and left his Jeep to inspect the scene before him.

"What have we got here?"

It looked like a human. Was it a hit and run accident? Was the person alive? He knelt down and gingerly touched the person. Blood was splattered everywhere, and it was crusted over all along the exposed patches of skin. Part of the person's skull was missing.

"Man, what a mess! What could have done this?"

The smell of the things hit him before the sight of them did. It reeked of moldy fruit and death. He heard moaning, groaning, and the skin-crawling shriek of hunger.

"What was that?"

Several people shuffled into the road, and they all looked pretty much like the person lying in the middle of the road. The people looked like they should have been dead. One guy had his intestines hanging outside his body for fuck's sake.

"What are these things?"

He stood up and gripped his gun, not knowing who to aim at first.

"All right, that's far enough! Don't move!"

They ignored his command.

"Don't…move…"

He looked down and the woman at his feet had grasped his ankle and was trying to pull him down.

"NO!" without blinking an eye, he fired at her and she went down.

He fired several more shots at a couple of the people advancing towards him, shots that would've killed a normal person.

"What's up with that guy? That was a clean hit!"

He was the best marksman in his graduating class. He never missed. That shot should've killed the man.

He fired even more shots, backing into an alley, away from the creatures that were following him.

"I'm running out of ammo here," he said to himself.

Then the door he was backing up against swung open and he whirled around, his gun pointing at...

A pretty red-headed girl in pink? If she didn't duck he was going to fire. He knew she probably didn't know what was behind her.

"Wait! Don't shoot!" she pleaded, putting her hands up.

"Get down!" he commanded.

In one shot to the head, he killed the thing behind her. After the man fell to the floor, he holstered his gun and offered her his hand. She was pretty…reminded him of Stella…

"We can't stay out here. Head to the police station, it'll be a lot safer," he jerked his head towards the direction he just came from.

They took off running down the alley and across the street where Leon spotted a cop car.

"There!" he pointed.

They both got inside and he started the engine. "Buckle up," he instructed.

 _I hope she doesn't think this car is mine,_ he thought.

"Okay," she said.

He started fiddling with the radio as she started to talk. Static, static, and more static... the radio, like everything else, was useless.

"What's going on? I arrived in town and the whole place went insane!" she was leaning forward in her seat, nervously watching everything with a keen eye.

"Great, the radio's out," he grunted.

"You're a cop, right?" she said with a sarcastic smirk.

He got a good look at her, and he was so glad she wasn't near hysterics. The last thing he needed was to comfort a kid. Not just a kid, but a girl. She looked pretty capable though, and that smirk or hers made him smile.

"Yeah," he replied. "First day on the job. Great, huh? Name's Kennedy. Leon Kennedy. Nice to meet you."

He frowned inwardly. Why did he introduce himself as Leon Kennedy? Nobody called him Leon. Everyone called him Scott, his middle name, the name of his Father. Stella called him Scotty. He gripped the steering wheel and gritted his teeth. Everything was changing faster than he could comprehend, but it seemed his subconscious accepted everything before he had a chance to even think things through.

"I'm Claire, Claire Redfield. I came here to find my brother Chris."

Redfield…why did that name sound so familiar? He put the thought aside for a moment. The girl would need a weapon, even if she didn't know how to use it. There might be a gun inside the glove box. If not, he could definitely find one at the station. Hopefully.

"Hey, could you open the glove box?"

"Sure," she shrugged. "There's a gun inside."

Perfect. "Better take it with you."

She checked it for bullets, and Leon was impressed that she knew how to handle a gun. Then it hit him. Chris Redfield was a S.T.A.R.S. member. Claire was his sister. Maybe weapons training ran in the family.

Claire screamed and Leon jumped. A zombie, for lack of a better word, had lunged from the back seat and gone for Claire's shoulder.

"NO!" he shouted, a vision of her premature death flashing before his eyes. He wasn't about to let that happen.

He started to lose control of the cop car and Claire gripped the door handle.  
"Look out!" she cried.

With the butt of his gun he smashed the zombie's skull. Claire screamed, and everything after that was a blur. The car went crashing into a pole, and the zombie flew through the windshield, landing on the hood but out of view.

Leon looked at Claire, expecting her to break down NOW, but she appeared fine.  
"You okay?" he asked, looking into her grey-blue eyes.

"Still in one piece," she said, again with the sarcastic smirk.

They both sat back, and Claire gasped. Leon followed her eye line to the rearview mirror and his mouth opened in horror.

Things were so bad, and they were going to get so much worse…

A truck was barreling down on them, and they had precious few seconds to get away.  
"----Maniac's gonna ram us! RUN!"

He jammed hard down on his seat belt release and dove out his door, praying Claire was doing the same thing. As soon as his feet hit the pavement, the car and the truck collided and exploded, sending flames in all directions.

He coughed, his heart beating wildly. Was Claire okay? He didn't know if he could forgive himself if she didn't make it.

"Claire!" he called out, hoping against hope she'd reply.

"LEON!"

His heart skipped. She was okay! "I'm okay! Head to the station! I'll meet you there!"

"Okay!"

"Shit…today is such a bad day," he said, adding more bullets to his gun.

For the first time since Stella broke up with him, he was glad that she did, and he realized death was something he really, truly did not want.


End file.
